When I grew up, the Devil was a reason why I had a headache or the Devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the Devil. I think today when I say the Enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the Enemy can be our own thoughts.

A mind that is unfocused is vulnerable to "the world, the flesh, and the devil," all of which exert a downward pull on your thoughts. As your thinking processes deteriorate, you become increasingly confused and directionless.

MY PROMISE to be with you always ensures that you never have to face anything alone. The evil one uses three Ds to keep you from finding Me: distractions, deception, and discouragement. As you resist these tricky tactics and look for Me, you will find Me.

Instead of trying to direct Me to do this and that, seek to attune yourself to what I am already doing.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. —JAMES 1:4 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The most effective way to resist evil is to draw near Me.

Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece.

Remember that Satan is the accuser of believers. He delights in heaping guilt feelings upon you, especially when you are enjoying My Presence. When you feel Satan's arrows of accusation, you are probably on the right track. Use your shield of faith to protect yourself from him. Talk with Me about what you are experiencing, and ask Me to show you the way forward. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to Me, and I will come near to you.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. EPHESIANS 6 : 12 "All those gathered here will

The ways of reading Revelation that spend time speculating about the questions When will all this happen? and Who is the antichrist? fail the church in discipleship. Instead of a discipleship that teaches us to discern Babylon among us and shows us how to live in Babylon as dissidents instead of conformists, these speculative questions teach Christians how to wait for the escape from Babylon.

Though Son of God and though entitled to provisions, Jesus didn't let his physical desires dictate decisions.

As we grow detached from things, we come (with God's help) to master our desires, and we give the mastery over to God. Discipline and divine grace heal the intellect and the will of the effects of concupiscence. We can begin to see things clearly.